Winston Peters was accused of "pure racism" by Chris Hipkins for questioning a Green MP's heritage. Photo / Mark Mitchell
By Craig McCulloch of RNZ
Winston Peters has been accused of “pure racism” in Parliament by Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who has called out National ministers for failing to combat or challenge it.
The Greens say Peters is scapegoating migrants, while Act’s David Seymour – his own Cabinet colleague – says Peters is simply seeking attention.
The condemnation came after Parliament’s Question Time on Wednesday when the NZ First leader singled out a Green MP for his Rarotongan heritage.
Green MP Teanau Tuiono had used the word “Aotearoa” to refer to New Zealand while asking questions about climate aid in the Pacific.
It prompted Peters to interrupt: “Why is [the minister] answering a question from someone who comes from Rarotonga to a country called New Zealand...”
Speaker Gerry Brownlee cut him off to object to noise from other MPs in the debating chamber.
Hipkins then leapt to his feet: “Members in this House are equal. For a member of the House to stand up and question whether someone is entitled to ask a question because of their country of origin is pure racism, and you should’ve stopped him in the beginning.”
Brownlee said he did not hear Peters’ remark, but would review the transcription later.
Peters then completed his question, asking why somebody from Rarotonga had decided “without any consultation with the New Zealand people” to change the country’s name.
In response, Brownlee said that was “not an acceptable question at all”.
“I want that to be the last time that those sort of questions are directed so personally at members of this House,” Brownlee said.
Tuiono has Māori and Cook Islands Māori heritage but was born in New Zealand.
In a speech to Parliament shortly afterwards, Hipkins decried an “ugly side to New Zealand politics”, calling out “outright race-baiting” and “direct racism” being expressed in the debating chamber.
“Attacks on our Chinese and Asian communities in New Zealand, attacks on our Indian communities in New Zealand, and just today, attacks on whether those who have Pasifika heritage are entitled to ask questions in this House.
“And what have we heard from the Government side on those attacks? Absolutely nothing.”
Hipkins said National ministers needed to “combat and challenge that racism” during this year’s election campaign, saying it was “totally unacceptable” for them to “say nothing and do nothing”.
“They are quite happy to stand by while members of their own Government attack our Chinese community, our Indian community, our Pasifika community, migrants to New Zealand who work damn hard and contribute to New Zealand, and it’s an absolute disgrace.”
Hipkins said Government ministers should celebrate diversity and not cast aspersions on it.
Speaking to reporters later, Hipkins said Peters’ behaviour “had no place in Government and Parliament” – but he still would not say whether Labour would be prepared to work with NZ First after the election.
“I’m going to make judgments about those things closer to the election, but I’ll call out bad behaviour when I see it.”
Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Tuiono said Peters was using “culture wars” to distract from the real harm he was causing New Zealanders.
“Just like [Donald] Trump, he’s not very good with geography,” he said. “He just needs to get an atlas. A bilingual one preferably.”
His Green colleague Ricardo Menéndez March said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had failed to show leadership by allowing Peters – “a Temu Trump” – to spread anti-migrant sentiment.
“It’s migrant scapegoating... it emboldens people outside of these four walls who wish to cause harm on our migrant communities,” Menéndez March said.
Speaking afterwards, Act leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said he would never make such comments but would leave others to judge them for themselves.
“Do I like those comments? No. Would I make those comments? No. But I think if we all go on a 2019-style witch-hunt, we’re actually just fuelling it,” he said.
“If we all get ourselves in a lather, giving them the attention that they want, then that’s just as bad.”
In response, Peters told reporters Hipkins was talking “utter nonsense” and he did not care about Seymour’s views.
“How can somebody from another country who’s come to New Zealand decide to change my country’s name?” Peters said.
When told that Tuiono was born in New Zealand, Peters said, regardless, the Green MP claimed to be a “Cook Islander”.
“I would never go to the Cook Islands and start changing their name, would I?”
Peters said he was regularly being “literally mobbed” by New Zealanders on matters like the use of the word Aotearoa.
“I’m not indulging fools here. Let me tell you something: stand back and watch the polls go.”
– RNZ